Regional differences in asphyxia- and reperfusion-induced cytotoxic and vasogenic brain edema formation in newborn pigs

Neonatal asphyxia may induce brain injuries. Development of cytotoxic and v asogenic edema was measured in frontal, parietal, occipital cortex, hippoca mpus, striatum, thalamus, internal capsule, cerebellum, pens, and medulla o f newborn pigs in the following groups: control, asphyxia, and 3-h reperfus ion. Water content was significantly (P < 0.05) increased in parietal corte x and hippocampus during asphyxia, and in cortical regions, hippocampus, an d striatum during recovery. Asphyxia-reperfusion resulted in increased Na+- and Ca2+-, but decreased K+-concentrations in several brain regions, Blood -brain barrier permeability for sodium fluorescein (mw: 376) was significan tly increased in all regions but internal capsule and medulla in asphyxia, and in each region during reperfusion. Even's blue-albumin (mw: 67,000) eff lux was unchanged in asphyxia, but significantly increased after reperfusio n in all regions. Increased permeability was also demonstrated by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Edema formation in the early postasphyxial perio d in porcine brain corresponded to the specific patterns of cerebral damage in human neonates.